Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Old Barn, Huntley

     This old barn will soon be gone - like so many old barns in rural Prince Edward Island.  
     This farm belonged to Will Horne who likely built the barn sometime in the 1930's.  The farm was bought by Ross & Jean Brennan in the early 1970's - they lived here for near a decade.  The property has changed hands a few times over the years.  The barn has been used for storage for near 25 years.
     My father, Wilbert Jeffery, worked here as a young man in the 1940's and 50's - he recalls this barn always being here.
     Will Horne married Mary Gordon, daughter of John Owen and Grace (Riley) Gordon, of the Western Road in Alma.  
     Meacham's 1880 Atlas of Prince Edward Island show this farm belonging to a large section of land (240 acres) of the Estate of Rob't Gordon.  
     Cumin's 1928 Atlas of Prince Edward Island shows William Horne owning 75 acres here.
     Above: the barn north side of the barn which is located on the south side of the Cheese Factory Road in Huntley.  The Cheese Factory Road connects Huntley to Alma. 
      Above/Below:  The northeast corner of the barn.  The metal siding and roofing is being removed in preparation for demolition.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Taylor Road, Wilmot Valley

   I was in Summerside the other day - instead of taking the Blue Shank Road home I went to the other side of the Wilmot River and took the Taylor Road.  Here's a few photos of some interesting old places on that road...
     The house below is on the west end of the Taylor Road, bordering on the Wilmot River.  The images below are the front / south facing side of the house.
     This house has beautiful detailing of trim and eave bracketing.  The front features a projecting dormer with entry below and two square bay windows.  A kitchen wing with west facing verandah is to the rear/north of the house.
      The large two storey house below is up the road eastward from the house above.  You can see the Wilmot River behind the house - the white house is across the river on the Blue Shank Road.
Below: Valley View Farm
     The farm is located on the south side of Taylor Road, closer to the end towards MacMurdo Road.
Here's some other views of the property - great old buildings!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Farmers' Bank celebrates today 150th years Charter signing

The Friends of The Farmers’ Bank of Rustico
Cordially invite you to attend
A Celebration honoring the150th Anniversary of the signing of the
Charter of The Farmers’ Bank of Rustico
Saturday, April 5th starting at 11:00 a.m. at St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church
2190 Church Road ~ Route 243 North (off Route 6)
Rustico, Prince Edward Island
~ AGENDA ~
Opening Remarks -- Andrea Deveau
O Canada -- Lead by St. Augustine’s Choir
Blessing of the Congregation and Charter – Father Frank Jay
Acknowledgement of Dignitaries --Judy MacDonald
Sweet Grass Ceremony -- Charlie Sark
Father Belcourt and the origins of the Farmers’ Bank of Rustico -- Georges Arsenault
Closing Comments --Judy MacDonald
Following the celebrations, you are invited for refreshments at The Famers' Bank of Rustico Museum (located next to the Church); tours of the Museum will be available.
Please respect the scent free policies of the Church and The Farmers’ Bank.
For more information, please contact Marlene White at 963-2997
or Theresa Gallant at 963-2416
*******************
Les Amis de la Banque des fermiers de Rustico
vous invitent cordialement à assister à la célébration honorant
le 150e anniversaire de la signature de la
Charte de la Banque des fermiers de Rustico
Samedi le 5 avril à 11h00 à l’église catholique Saint-Augustin
2190 chemin Church ~ Route 243 Nord (près de la route 6)
Rustico, Île-du-Prince-Édouard
~ Programme~
Remarques d'ouverture -- Andrea Deveau
Ô Canada -- Dirigé par la chorale de Saint-Augustin
Bénédiction de la Congrégation et de la Charte
Salutations de dignitaires --Judy MacDonald
Cérémonie d'herbe douce -- Charlie Sark
Père Belcourt et les origines de la Banque des fermiers de Rustico -- Georges Arsenault
Commentaires de clôture --Judy MacDonald
Suivi de rafraîchissements à la Banque des fermiers (près de l’église). Des tours de la Banque des fermiers seront disponibles.
S'il vous plaît respecter les politiques de milieu sans parfum de l'église et de la Banque des fermiers.
Pour plus d'informations, s'il vous plaît communiquer avec Marlene White au 963-2997
ou Thérèse Gallant 963-2416.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Cathedral Painters at Catholic Church in Wellington

Wellington Church getting bright splash of interior colour
Photo & Article by Eric McCarthy, April 4, 2014
WELLINGTON -- For the first time since it was built 52 years ago Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Wellington is getting a complete interior facelift. 
            The wood beams that had never before seen paint are turning Lambert Blue with gold accent; the wood panel walls are turning to a light shade of blue, called Winter Solstice.
The interior redecorating job started on March 17.
            Parish priest, Fr. Albin Arsenault can hardly wait for the project to be completed in three to four weeks, and for a Mass of Thanksgiving to be held. The crew from Atlantic Cathedral Painters Ltd. from Antigonish, NS, will be in attendance for the celebration.
            “This is really the thing to do,” said Fr. Arsenault. “We don’t take anything for granted. These people, they have a passion, they know what they’re doing, and the community has to express and acknowledge their hard work, and it is our way to thank them.”
Fr. Arsenault is very familiar with their work as they were the contractor for three other church painting projects he’s been involved in since 1997.
            For Bill Gottschall, the owner of the painting company, the Thanksgiving Masses are unique. “This is my 70th church I’ve done in my career so far. I’ve had three parties after the project. All three of them have been in Prince County, Prince Edward Island.         That tells you something, in my opinion, about the people of Prince County; they go out of their way and they put on some kind of a spread for us,” he said, describing the gathering as humbling experiences.
            In any church painting project he’s been involved in, Gottschall said he always looks forward to Monday mornings following the Sunday masses. His crew takes down and remove all the staging and equipment at the end of their 11-hour work day on Thursday every week, wipe down the pews and give the church a cleaning. They drive home on the Friday and return to the church on Monday and set up again. They do the same for special weekday event, such as funerals or special Masses.
            “I’m very interested in Monday mornings,” Gottschall confessed. “If anybody comes around, I run right over to have a chat with them to see what they have to say.”
            He tells of painting the cathedral in Yarmouth 20-some years ago. Every day at 2 p.m. a man in his 90s would arrive to say his rosary, always sitting at the same place. Once done, he’d go around and shake hands with every member of the painting crew.           When it came time to paint the area over which the man would be sitting, Gottschall directed the crew to leave that area until after the man had come and gone. The man noticed right away how they had worked around him and told them he could have sat somewhere else. Two days later he presented each of the painters with a homemade rosary. Gottschall still has his. 
            The church’s finance committee decided in February to go ahead with the project and contractors were interviewed about paint schemes and costs on March 8. Work started nine days later.
Benefit hockey game
            Fundraising to help cover the cost of the project is underway. A successful turkey supper has already been held and this Sunday, April 6, at 7 p.m., a benefit hockey game in support of the project will be held in Abram-Village. Parishioners can also sign up to buy paint for the work.
            Fr. Arsenault said initial reaction to the work has been great.
The balcony section is completed. There’s special detailing on the front of the balcony, including a reproduction of a painting from the Church of Notre Dame in Quebec City. The balcony’s dark blue front is accented with gold veining, and “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception” and “Pray for Us” are stencilled in gold lettering. Little gold stars are incorporated into the paint.
            The painters are now working in the church’s assembly area, painting the ceiling white, the beams and the lower walls lambert blue and the upper section of the sidewalls winter solstice. The same colour scheme will be used at the front of the church behind the altar but with more white. Accents throughout are in gold.
            “There’s excitement. It brings revival,” Fr. Arsenault said of the paint job. He’s expecting the same type of reaction that was generated after the painting jobs were completed at the churches in Tignish, Miscouche and Grand River.
            “They just couldn’t believe it. People just spontaneously responded positively,” Fr. Arsenault said. “It gives pride to a community.”

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Arsenault Barns, Abram-Village

     This farm is located off Route 11 in Abram-Village.  Georges Arsenault took these photos in 2007 and supplied the following information.  Thanks Georges!
     "These well kept barns are located in Abram-Village.  Leo S. Arsenault and his sons, Gilles and Jean-Guy, are the last farmers in Abram-Village.  
     The barn in the first picture (above) belonged to Aubin J.N. Gallant who lived about half a mile from Leo's place. In 1964, Leo and his father Sylvère bought the barn and had it hauled on their property. According to Adrus, Aubin's son, the beams were squared by hand. Leo tells me that it looks a bit younger than their old barn. So maybe it dates from around 1900.
      In the other photo (below), the first building is the granary and the older part of the big barn would date back to circa 1870."
"Here is an aerial photo below of the farm circa 1970."
Ferme Sylvère Arsenault, v. 1970

Old Barn at Bloomfield Corner

     I photographed this old barn in May 10, 2008.  It belongs to the Horne Family and located on the north side of the O'Halloran Road ( Rte. 145 ) near Bloomfield Corner and not far from the clay country road, Botts Road.  
     This property has been in the Horn(e) family since before 1880.  Meacham's 1880 Atlas of PEI shows R.H. Horn with 200 acres here; and Cumin's 1928 Atlas of PEI shows Robert Horn here with 200 acres.
     Sorry for the poor photograph.
     I was by here last Saturday and surprised how fast the building has become ruins.